Convertible planter.



Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

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L3QAEQD B. M. LANGNES.

CONVERTIBLE PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED mac. 5, 1918.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919. 1

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' ED STATES Paris J BERNHART M. LANG-HES, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN.

convnn'rmnn murmur.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed December 5, 1918. Serial No. 265,384.

To, all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNHART M.

- LANGNES, a citizen of the United States, and

structure and to increase the efliciency of machines of this character, aswell as to prother and importantlobj ect in this connection vantages in view,

sides in the novel vide for a most ready convers on of the machine for its various planting functions.

It is more particularly my object to provide a planter embodylng an intermittent batch discharge-which is effected by batch determining carriers on an endless belt fed from the main supply of seed, and a furresides in-the PIOVlSlOn of an arrangementwhereby belts having diflerent batch determining carriers 'inaybe interchangeably employed for effecting ing operations. 7

A further and important object resides in the provision of means for varying the planting intervals of the machine by procuring variation of the ratio of belt travel of the machine.

. With-the above and other objects and adwhich will beapparent as the description proceeds, my invention rehereinafter more particularly described and tional view defined by the appended claims.

. In the accompanying drawings:

-Figure ,1

through my improved planting machine on a plane indicated in general by I the line '1-1 of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view throu h Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the feed belt carrier and associated parts,

feed roller on a plane i i the hopper and by the broken line 3-3 of cated in general Fig. 1.

' thereof being in section.

the object of my inven- -t1on to simplify and otherwise improve the dilferent desired plant .22 which is adapted to fit 0 rear. portion of features of construction, .comb1nat1on and arrangement of parts as is a vertical longitudinal secdischarge mouth in Fig- 4 an elevational view of a portion of one type of feed belt.-

Fig. 5 1s an elevational view of another type of feed belt, the seed holding cups Referring now more particularly to the accompanyingdrawings, there is provided a mainframe including side sills 10 and front and rear end sills*1;1-and 12, the rear end sill mounting a driver seat 13 while a draft tongue 14 is hinged to the'front end sill.

The rear portion of the frame is supported by a-sw1vel wheel 15 secured to and movableunder the rear sill 12, while the front port10n of the machine is supported by'wheels 16 fixed on a'drive axle :17 which is journaled on the forward end portions of the side sills. A main casing for the seed distrlbuting mechanism ismounted on uprights 18 at the forward portion of the frame and includes side wallsy19 flared outwardly at their upper portions, and front and rear end yer-gent at' their lower portlons and merge into a bottom for the main casing,- the relative inclination of the two walls being such that then meeting bottom portions are dis-' of and adjacent the driye'v posed rearwardly axle 17, and extend a short distance below the horizontal portion-of the main casing forms supply hopper of the machine,

lower portion of the. casing forms a supplethe main mental hopper and serves to house the batch forming belt structure.

These portions of the casing are separated by a partition plate b iquely in the tion approximately parallel 'to the inclined lower portion of the rear wall 21 ofthe main casing. The upper rear edge portion of the partition plate is detachab y secured to the main casing, preferably by engagement of a depending flange 23 in clip members 24 carried by the wall 21', the side edge portions of the .plate resting againstand being supported by adjacent inclined portions of the side walls 19. The lower forward edge portion of the partition plate defines a hopper conjunction with the adjacent inclined portion of the front wall 20, and to restrict'this hopper'mouth transversely of the-main casing, side partition plates 25 are hinged to the inclined portions of the side walls 19, forming contmuatlons 110 plane thereof. The upper walls 20 and 21 respectivelywhich are con:

while, the

the main casing, in a pos1- wall 21. The lower of the surfaces of said inclined wall portions, said lates resting on the lower portion of the plate 22 and on the ad acent inclined portions of the front wall 20. By the foregoing construction, access may be readily had to the belt houslng lower portion of the main casing for manipulating the belt structure, by swinging the partition plates 25 upwardly to the positions shown in furcated to form journal seats for the re-,

ception of a belt shaft carrying a roller 31- on its portion between the sills. The upper end portions of the sills are slotted to slidably munt a pair of bearing boxes 32 carrying an upper belt roller 33. An endless feed belt'34 is trained about the boxes, and

low speed from the axle .17 and L ru'gated roller 45 the tension of the belt is adjusted on screws 34 threaded in upper end portions ofthe sills and having swivel connection with the boxes 32. The pivotal mounting of the belt unit is utilized to procure a variable drive of the belt from the axle'17, and to efiect this relatively large and small gears 35 and 36 respectively are mounted on the end of the shaft 30 and are adapted to selectively engage with adrive gear 37 splined on the axle projecting through the casing. This gear 37 is selectively shifted into position With either of the belt shaft .gears by a spanner arm 38. engagin its hub and carried by a shaft 39 extencfing longitudinally of the machine. An upstandin lever 40 is carried on the rearend of the s aft and has pawl connection with a segment 41 for bolding the gear 37 in either of its shifted positions. The pivotal position of the belt unit is controlled by a lever 42 pivoted at the rear upper portion of the main casing and carryng a pivoted link 43 extending into the casing and having its forward end hooked for engagement in an upstanding ear 44 on the upperv end of one of the belt sills 27. The belt 34 may thus be driven at eitherhigh or 17, or may be disposed 1n neutral position, with the gearsout of mesh whereby propulsion of the machine over the ground will not drive the belt.

For procuring a positive feed of seeds from the main hopper, arlongitudinally cor-. is mounted .on outwardly inclined arms 46 upstanding from the lower ortions of the belt sills 26- and this roller is riven by a belt connection 47 between 0110 of its pintles in the belt drive shaft 30. The roller 45 is thus driven coincident with the belt and is controlled in rotation by the control meansof the belt. To vary the feed from the hopper, and to compensate for shifting movements of the roller 45 incidental to the shifting of the belt unit by which it is carried, a slide, plate 48 is mounted at the lower portion of the bottom partition plate 22 and is held in position by a set screw 49 having swivel connection therewith .and threaded in a lug of the bottom plate.

The upper end of the carrying stretch of the, eed belt is disposed above a depending spout 50 carried by the rear main casing wall 21 and to which is secured an extensible boot 51 terminating at its lower end in a dis charge shoe 52 disposed rearwardly of a furrow disk 53 and secured to the supporting beams 54 of said disk,these beams being ex tended forwardly of the machine and piv'- oted on a transverse shaft 55 under the frame. This pivot shaft also carries the for wardends of beams 56 which extend rearwardly and carry covering shoes 57 disposed rearwardly of the seed discharge shoe 52. The position of these various ground engage ing members is controlled by a lever 58 carried by a transverse shaft 59 on the frame, which shaft also carries a forwardly extend-.

ing crank arm 60 to which is pivoted a rod 61 the covering shoes 57, said rod being adapted 0 lift the shoes when the rod is raised, andhaving coiled thereon a spring 63 engageable with the yoke to impart yieldable pressure thereto when the rod is lowered. A rod 64 is pivotally secured to the rear portion-of the beam 54 and has its upper end headed and passed through the free end of an arm 65 extending forwardly from a transverse shaft 66 on the main frame, a spring 63*, being mounted on this rod 64 and yieldably urging the disk 53 to ground engagement in lowered position of the arm. The shaft 66 carries an upstanding arm 67 connected by a link 68 with the lever 58 which thus afpassed through a connecting yoke 62 of fords a common control for theshoes and 7 disk.

The feed belt 34 shown in Fig. 4 and in the assembled views is adapted for planting potatoes, having mounted thereon regularly spaced elevatingblades 34 of such size as to engage and elevate a number of potato eyes SllffiCleIlt for one hill. Other belts such as shown at 34 in Fi 5 may be provided for feeding corn or ot er grains, carrying elevatingcups 34 of such size as to receive a sufiicient number of kernels for a single planting, the cups of the different belts varying in size in accordance with the nature of the grain and the number of kernels'to be planted in a batch. I

In the operation of the machine, slide plate 48 is adjusted so as to permit only a suflicient discharge from the main hopper to fill the cups or blades of the feed belt in accordance with the speed at which the belt .is traveling, seeds being guided to the cups or blades by guide plates 69 mounted'on the belt sills 26 and bracket arms 46. Such seeds as might escape, fall into the bottom of the main casing and form an auxiliary supply 'takenup by the plates or cups as they move about the lower roller 31 and serve to maintain a constant fullness of the blades or cups and to tom-pensate for possible'slight variations of the feed of the main hopper. i

A simple machine has thus been provided which is very positive in its planting operation, and which may be most readily adapted to meet difi'ef'ing planting conditions, either with respect to the nature of the crop planted or with respect to the desired spacing.

What is claimed is: y '1. A planting machine including a main frame, ground wheels supporting the main frame, a pivoted belt frame mounted on the mam frame, a shaft carried by said belt frame, a belt carried by the belt frame and trained about the shaft, selective speed gears on. the shaft, a gear, means for driving said ear, means for holdlng the belt frame in ifitering pivotal positions to procure diflermg drive speeds of the belt, a hopper on I the main frame, and batch determining members on the beltfed from the hopper.

2. A planting machine including a main frame, ground wheels supporting said frame, seat bearings on the main frame, a belt frame having pintles engageable in said seat bearings to pivotally and removably ,mount the belt frame, means forholding the belt frame in differing ivotal positions, a shaft carried by the belt ame, a,belt carried by the belt frame and trained about the shaft, a shaft, means for driving said shaft, variable speed transmission ,gears on the shafts, a hopper on themain frame, and

batch determimng'members on the belt fed from the hopper. a

3. A plantin machine including a main frame, groun wheels supporting said frame,-seat hearings" on the. main frame, a

belt frame having pintles engageable in said seat bearings to pivotally and removablymount the belt frame, means for holding the belt frame in differing pivotal positions, a shaft carried by the belt frame, a belt carshaft a shaft, means for driving said shaft, variable speed transmission. gears on the shafts, a hopper on the main frame, batch determining members on the belt fed from the hopper, and a feed roller adjacent the .discharge mouth of the hopper carried by the belt frame anddriven from the shaft of the belt frame.

4.,A planting machine including a main frame, seat bearings on the main frame, a belt frame having pintles engageable in said seat bearings to pivotally and removably mount the belt frame, means for holding the belt frame indifl'ering pivotal positions, a-shaft carried b the belt frame, a belt carried by the'belt rame and trained about the shaft, a shaft, means for drivingsaid shaft,.

variable speed transmission gears on the shafts, a hopper on the main frame, batch ried by the belt frame and trained about the f frame, ground wheels supporting said determining members on the belt fed from the hopper, a feed roller adjacent the discharge mouth of the hopper carried by the 'belt frame and driven from the shaft of the belt frame, and guide plates-upstanding at speed transmission gears on the shafts, a hopper on the main frame, and batch determining members. on the belt fed from the hopper. 9 H

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have "hereunto set my. hand at Kenosha, in the county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin. 1

' BERNHART M. LANGNES.

a main 

